pull-ups / pulling
After years of exclusively practicing yoga I learned that the pulling aspect of movement was tragically missing from my fitness practice leaving my upper body quite a lot weaker and than my legs and hips.
I started focusing on core strength and working towards pull-ups and it was frustrating at first when I wasn’t sure if I would be able to snag one or two on any given day, but eventually (within a couple of months) it came pretty easily. Using the lat pull-down machine at the gym, rows, and hanging leg raises and v-ups I was able to start snagging a few sets of 5 ea during most workouts, and now I can do a few sets of 6-8.
Increasing stability in my shoulders, strengthening the muscles in the backs of the shoulders and side body (lats, scaps, traps, rhoms, delts, etc), and increasing my core strength has helped me improve my handstand game exponentially and has been empowering in general- getcha some pull-ups in!
Here are 3 ideas for pulling at home without a pull-up bar: Rows, blanket roll pulls, and using hand towels in a door to try pulling up. Upon reflection of trying the handtowel on the door situation, I liked it for hanging and it was fun to play around with as someone who won’t think twice about climbing a tree or hopping on the monkey bars at the park, for consistent training and doing multiple sets it’s not something I would do all the time because my shoulders are quite wide and I prefer to engage my core by keeping my legs straight in pull-ups. I appreciated hanging from the towels and using them for grip strength.